The Everlasting
by GenericDude
Summary: The second of my Tom Nook/Sable stories. When Tom Nook secretly finds Sable crying about how her relationship with him has run to a standstill, Tom sets about to make things right between them again.
1. Chapter 1

**Continuing on my Sable/Tom Nook pairing stories, here is another story. Enjoy, please let me know what you think of it!**

The Everlasting

_[Some years ago]_

_ The rain poured heavily down on the small village by the sea. A dank grey blanket shrouded the skies; there was no chance for the sun to break through. It was four o' clock; there was no soul present at the train station._

_ Two people arrived, hand in hand, just as a train arrived on the platform. Its wheels skidded against the metal tracks; smoke billowed from beneath the intestines and organs of the train. A steward revealed himself and acknowledged the presence of the man and woman approaching. There was no timetable today: the rain had deterred everyone._

_ They walked, both underneath an umbrella, both dressed in thick coats to shield themselves from the harsh cold of the autumn deluge. The black of their shoes matched the dank color scheme of the train station and the sky; grey, grey, grey._

_ The two walked up close to the train doors and the man produced a ticket to the steward, who verified it. _

_ "You may step on board" the steward said, gesturing for the man to enter._

_ "Give me a minute, please" the man asked, his voice quivering slightly. The steward understood the request and walked down the length of the train, peering out in vain for any other passengers._

_ Placing his suitcase down on the wet floor, he took the woman into his arms._

_ "This is goodbye, then"_

_ "If only there was something I could say to stop you from going…"_

_ The man pulled away slightly so he could peer into the tear-glistened eyes of his closest, dearest friend. The train was beckoning to take him away to the city, the land where dreams were made. He was going to miss her, but he assured himself that everything would be okay._

_ "Sable…please take care of yourself. I promise I'll keep in touch with you"_

_ "Tom…"_

_ She fell into his arms again, holding him as tightly as possible. "I promised myself that I wouldn't cry…b-but I'm afraid I-I'm about to break that promise…"_

_ He stroked her quills; it was going to be hard without her. He felt a sense of defiance inside him: he was young, seeking a challenge, holding a burning desire to face impossible odds. He felt the need to prove himself, and the city could grant him that opportunity. This was just part of the test._

_ "Sable, I'm so sorry, but you'll have to let go of me. The train's about to leave…"_

_ She let go of him, repositioning her umbrella to stop any more rain from falling on her. He took her face in his hands, his heart beating rapidly, and kissed her softly on her lips, before taking hold of his suitcase and boarding the train. Entering the nearest cabin, he opened the curtains and looked out to his friend. She urged a smile; the train hooted as the steward hollered. Within seconds, the train started to move, and Tom Nook kept his gaze fixed on Sable's eyes as she became smaller and smaller, vanishing within the minute. His adventure had begun._

_[Present day]_

Eleven o' clock. It was time for Tom Nook to close his store for the night. Almost ritualistically, he would throw a rag over every item in his Nookway store to stop dust from collecting on them. Twisting the sign on the window display to 'CLOSED', he set about his business of shutting up shop for the night. He felt pretty glad of the business he had done today: he had managed to sell off three pieces of expensive furniture and mosaic pattern wallpaper. It was more money than he would usually make, so the increase in profit was a welcome feeling. Throwing his large coat around him, he twirled the keys in his hands as he stepped outside of his store, shutting the lights off. He thrust his keys into a mechanism outside, causing the shutters to fall in front of the windows, before placing the keys in his inside pocket.

He began his twenty-minute trek home. The night was peaceful: clouds thinly blanketed the sky, where the hidden moon would mysteriously illuminate the edges of every cloud. It was a pretty sky to look at and Tom Nook far preferred it to the rain. He hated the rain. His walk would take him down a secluded woodland walk; quite far from the small seaside town he did business in, to his small, cozy home. It was a routine that Tom Nook had settled into nicely; his walk accounted for his exercise _and _his personal time.

Yet that night, as he walked, it was at the point where he was about to take the right turn out of the village and into the woods where he heard a noise that stopped him. It was a quiet noise, yet loud enough to conquer the sounds of Tom Nook's footsteps brushing the autumn leaves from his feet.

It was the sound of crying.

He tuned his ears to the sound; slightly worried that somebody was hurt. He found the source of the noise and his heartbeat increased upon seeing its source.

His eyes settled upon the Able Sisters store, a small, somewhat humble clothing store within the town. Of course, Tom Nook thought, he walked past this store every night! But was it really where the crying noise was coming from?

To his chagrin, it was. Tom Nook spotted a figure sat within the room above the store, the lights on inside. The window was open and the thin, translucent flower-pattern curtains were blowing gently outside of the room as the crying could be heard. Tom Nook nervously started to walk towards the closed store, holding his breath. He never did let go of the memories that tied him to the Able Sisters, and upon hearing the distressing sobbing from the window, he felt his blood grow slightly cold. It grew even colder when his eyes identified who was crying.

It was Sable who was crying. Tom Nook instantly recognized the hazel colour of her quills and her eyes, now blotchy and red from her tears. He felt somewhat enchanted as he listened to her quiet mewling, but a second voice snapped him out of his trance.

"Sable, what's wrong?"

Tom Nook realized that not only was it Mabel's voice he could hear, but that he was in plain sight of the window. Quickly, he stepped briskly to the wall of the store and pressed himself below the window, becoming practically invisible. Closing his eyes, he tuned into the conversation.

"Mabel…please leave me alone"

"Sis, why are you crying?"

"It's nothing, please go"

"B-but I can't just leave you alone; you're crying! Tell me what's wrong: it'll make you feel better"

"I…I don't know"

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul"

There was a short silence.

"…It's about Tom Nook"

Tom Nook clasped a hand to his mouth, stopping the sound of his gasp emitting into the night sky and giving away his position. Was she really crying about _him? _A feeling of guilt started to creep up on him as he begun to remember his past with her.

"What? Why is he making you sad?"

"Mabel, I don't want to talk about it right now…"

"Did he say something nasty to you?"

"No, Mabel…take a seat and listen carefully. Tom Nook and me used to be best friends. Don't you remember when he used to come here, to the store?"

"I was a toddler back then, wasn't I? I kinda remember him coming around"

"That's right, you _do _remember. He bought you some candy sometimes…"

Tom Nook sighed quietly to himself, closing his eyes. His memory was coming back to him in stark, clear pictures; he also remembered the numerous visits to the shop. His heart started to feel heavy, the memories that he had forgotten so easily were coming back to lay its guilt upon him.

"So why are you upset?"

"Well…it was ten years ago to this day when he left this town for the city"

"He…left?"

"I'm surprised you don't remember him leaving, considering you remember him giving you sweets"

"I just thought he stopped visiting. I never knew he left for the city!"

"Well, he did just that, exactly ten years ago"

"Is that why you're crying?"

"Yeah…although I feel a little better now"

"If you're so sad about him, then why don't you go and talk to him? His store's only a brisk walk down town"

Tom Nook's heart jumped: he feared she was going to go and find him. He readied his feet to sprint nimbly, waiting for the sounds of her preparations as a signal to leave.

"…I can't"

He froze, stopping himself from shooting off into the night. He never felt so nervous; it was a strange experience to eavesdrop on a conversation concerning him.

"Why not, sis?"

"…It's been about a year and a half since he came back here. We…haven't spoken a word to each other"

"How come?"

"I don't know, Mabel! He just appeared one day…and I certainly didn't have the courage to talk to him. He never came to visit, or to relive old memories…I don't know what happened to him, but he just hasn't talked to me since then. Besides, I'm too old for things like this now"

That was the point where Tom Nook could listen to no more. The memories of his halcyon past with Sable were being quickly drowned in his bitterness and sorrow from the city. Without a word, he started to walk briskly towards the woods. He needed the shelter of his house more than ever, but more importantly, he needed a piece of paper and an envelope. He took the memories and good times for granted, and now he was confronted with guilt caused by Sable's tears, he knew he had to do something to find peace again.

**Stay tuned, y'all!**


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as he got home, he defied his usual routine of settling in. He kept his coat on as he walked right up the stairs to his room. Closing the door quickly, he marched to the desk, his heart still beating rapidly. There was a box of things that he had brought back from the city as reminders; bits and pieces that would evoke memories in Tom Nook's head. Since returning from the city, he had never looked inside the box, having almost forgotten about what was inside. But now, feeling confronted by his own ignorance, he pulled the medium sized cardboard box from underneath his bed and opened it.

The contents inside were varied. There was a worn suit jacket inside, a memento of Tom Nook's work as he went through all the struggles. There was a single Bell tucked away in one corner: the first Bell he ever made in the city. Various little bits and pieces filled the majority of the box, each with a zany story of its own.

But Tom Nook bypassed all the small, feel-good memories, digging his hands into the box with a suppressed ferociousness, until he reached the bottom. He felt his heart seize up in a mixture of joy and grief; he laid his hands on the small pile of shirts that were tucked up at the bottom.

Pulling them out, he stood up and laid each shirt out on the bed. There were six in total, each sporting a different pattern; one was a green and blue gingham pattern, whereas another one was a sun splashed orange. As each was set out, reaching both sides of the bed in their length, Tom Nook started to feel the recollection of his time in the city coming back into his mind like a river of spikes, with each memory bringing a pain of its own. The guilt inside him started to grow: how could he forget her so easily. After all, it was Sable who had made all of the shirts that lay in front of him.

There was something about the row of shirts that were endearing to him: how each one seemed to get better and better in their craft. Another fact popped into Tom Nook's head: there were all birthday presents. Every year, Sable had made a special shirt, just for him. It was haunting to look at them, especially the sixth and final one, considering he had spent eight and a half years in the city. It reminded him that there was a point when the two had just stopped communicating. Realizing how selfish he had been in not keeping in touch, he felt the guilt stab deeper into his conscience. He exhaled bitterly; his legs wobbled as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"How could I forget about her?" he said quietly to himself. "There was a point when she meant everything to me…and I must have meant everything to her. I've been really…ugh..."

He stood up again to look at the shirts. Upon a second glance, he noticed something instantly. In the final shirt, there was something rectangle shaped hidden inside of it. Reaching his hand out, he felt the indentation in the shirt before quickly navigating his hand through the fabric to reach the object. Pulling it out, he felt yet another shock as he looked at the object.

It was a small, framed picture of him and Sable, not long before he went for the city. Tom Nook looked at the picture intensely: the quality of the photo was really good. In the picture, Tom Nook had his arms wrapped Sable, laughing heartily when the picture was taken. Sable's arms were by her sides, almost rejecting, but her expression gave away her true feelings. She was looking meekly at the camera with a shy smile on her face; her freckled cheeks were flushed red and her eyes looked almost trance like. It was a beautiful photo, and just before Tom Nook allowed his emotions to show, his thumb fell on a piece of paper held behind the picture frame. Intrigued, he pulled the folded piece of paper, unfolding it before looking at what was on it. There was writing on it, a handwriting that Tom Nook recognized. His throat choked up slightly, he whispered the words on the letter to himself:

_Dear Tom,_

_ Happy birthday! I made you another shirt, but I wanted to mix things up a little for you, so I dug this picture up in my attic! I made the frame especially for you, I hope you like it!_

_ From Sable._

A teardrop fell onto the paper as Tom Nook's quivering hands closed up the letter, placing it back behind the photo. He looked at the picture again before throwing it softly towards the bed. He let his tears fall as his guilt eat up inside of him. He came to realize how much he missed Sable, and how much he dearly craved and loved her company. She was one of his only friends, and was certainly his closest friend before he so foolishly forgot what meant the most to him in his life. What hurt him the most was the fact he had forgotten even when he packed her shirts and the picture into the memory box.

His mind was set. He wasn't going to make any more mistakes, he thought. Wiping his eyes vigorously, still wearing his thick jacket, he pulled out some paper and sat by his desk beside the window. He reached out for a pencil and with mighty inspiration running rampant in his mind, Tom Nook started to pen out a letter. It didn't take him very long to pour his heart out onto the paper and before long, he was finished. Dropping his pencil onto the desk, one could imagine a thin wisp of smoke emanating from the tip of the blunted pencil because of the vigor with which Tom Nook wrote. He had opened up a passion that had been long withheld, a feeling of genuine care and love. Not allowing any nerves to step in his way, he folded the letter before marching right out of his house and through the woods to the Able Sisters store, posting the letter and returning home for a sleepless night.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sable, Sable!"

Sable was woken up frightfully from her sleep by Mabel's shouting, who came running into their one bedroom in the building. Sable woke up in a confused state, seeming she was always the one who got up first.

"Ugh…what's wrong, Mable?" Sable called grumpily over to her. The light bombarded her sensitive eyes as she made out the figure of Mable walking towards her excitedly. She produced a piece of folded paper, a smile beaming across her face.

"You've got mail!" she said. Sable saw nothing exciting in this and groggily sat up in her bed, taking the paper. But Mable hadn't finished, and said something that would shock Sable into an alert state. "It's from Tom Nook!"

Her tired eyes shot open suddenly. Darting her gaze to her sister, Sable could tell that she wasn't lying to her. Her expression said it all.

"…Can I read it alone?" Sable asked. Mable, fully understanding the situation, nodded before walking out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Sable felt the very atmosphere around her become tense as she nervously unfolded the letter. Holding it with one hand and grabbing the pajama leg tightly with the other for stability, she began to read out loud.

_Dear Sable,_

_ If you're reading this message, then you might be wondering why it's been so long since we've last talked to each other. I hope to explain everything about how I feel and why we haven't spoken in this letter; it might be long winded and a bit of a rant, but please bear with me._

_ I heard you crying last night as I was walking back to my house. I couldn't beat my curiosity and decided to listen in, so I apologize if that was against your wishes. However, when I heard that it was because of me, and the fact that we just haven't communicated in so long, it had me thinking. I went home and unearthed my box of mementos from the city._

_ I felt so guilty, Sable. Writing this, I'm struggling to understand why our relationship fell quiet. You sent me shirts for my birthdays in the city, and I laid them out on my bed. I also found a picture of the two of us together amidst the shirts, and I'll admit that I was struggling not to cry. How could I forget the amazing friendship we had?_

_ I want to say I'm sorry for any pain or sadness I've caused you. I know I've been ignorant and forgetful, perhaps even selfish. Now that I remember how golden our days together were as friends, I want to stop the gap that grows between our lives. I want to be just as happy as I was before I went to the city. Happiness that we felt when we were children; that's what I want to feel, and it's what I want you to feel as well. I want to be rid of the gap, just like the gap our parents never had._

_ I remember the mantra my father told me when I was at risk of losing a cool head: Stop those thoughts, control your mind and replace the things that you despise. They were words that helped me keep my sanity when I was in the city, but I suppose I accidentally replaced our relationship in all the kafuffle. I prioritized stupid things, like Bells, and success. I was wrong. Nothing is more valuable than friendship, and I feel like an idiot when I found out that my misgivings had made you cry that night._

_ 'You're old', I hear you say. But Sable, age means nothing to me now, just because you're older doesn't mean I don't want to stop knowing you, it doesn't mean that I don't care. I realize that my ethics towards life, all the crusades for a quick Bell, I don't believe in it anymore. It was all just stupidity caused by my youth. Moving to the city, leaving you here, everything outlandish I did were just pathetic acts for a worthless cause: money. _

_ I could go on forever, but I'm running out of space on this paper. To put it shortly, I want you back in my life. I want to be happy and I want to make you happy. Can you ever forgive me for leaving you in the dark for so long? Whatever you decide, you'll know where to find me._

_ With love, Tom Nook._

"…Mable?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Look after the shop for a bit. I'll be back"

"What for, sis?"

"I need to pop out for a few minutes…"

She saw that Nookway was open, but as she peered through the glass, he wasn't in sight. Nervously, she stepped to the automatic door; it opened silently.

Walking in, she peered around to try and find Tom Nook. The shelves were up to chest height, but Sable should have been able to spot him easily from behind one of them. As she quietly and slowly paced in, she suddenly noticed his voice humming quietly.

"_In the beginning…"_

She looked about, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.

"_When we were winning…"_

She took a few steps further into the shop; she knew it was Tom Nook's voice. She felt her heart flutter; his voice was sweet and tuneful.

"_When our smiles were genuine…"_

Sable knew she was getting closer to the source of the voice, she checked down the first aisle. No Tom Nook.

"_In the beginning, when we were winning…"_

She checked the second aisle, but Tom Nook was still absent. His voice, however, was getting stronger. There was one more aisle to check; Sable heartbeat rose and her face flushed slightly.

"_When our smiles were genuine…"_

As she turned her head to scan the last aisle, she found him; his back turned to her and on his knees. There was a bottle of disinfectant by his side; he was scrubbing the floor. Sable watched silently as he continued to sing to himself, utterly unaware of her presence.

"_But now unforgiven, the everlasting, everlasting…"_

Sable noticed the sad tone to his voice, it sounded as if he were crooning in sadness. She jumped as she watched him getting up to his feet, and before she could do anything, he turned around and found her.

Tom Nook had been feeling nervous throughout the space of time he had hand delivered his letter into Sable's mailbox. It had been so long he had stood face to face with her before. He stared, almost in shock, towards her eyes, before swiftly examining the furry tartan coat she was wearing. She always knew how to dress well.

"Hello, Tom" Sable said quietly. Tom Nook, still stunned that she had come to see him, stepped closer towards her.

"Sable" he whispered. "…How have you been?" She hummed in response, taking her hands. It was obvious that she was shy; both of them thought that their meeting had been a long time in the making.

"Tom, I read your letter" she said quietly, showing him the letter he had so passionately written the night before.

"Oh…" Tom Nook hummed, looking away nervously. "A-and what did you think?"

"…I thought it was beautiful" she said, releasing a small smile. She then opened her arms and walked towards Tom Nook, taking him into her arms and holding onto him. Straight away, Tom Nook lifted his own arms and grasped her tightly, trying to keep his composure. Sable felt her own calmness become unstable in Tom Nook's arms, and before long, the two of them were quietly sobbing in each other's shoulders.

"I missed you so much Tom…" Sable uttered, drying her eyes quickly. "Please, don't you ever do that to me again"

Tom Nook pulled his own head away so he could look at his dear friend's face. He felt his heart bubbling with joy; a smile broke from his face. He started to shake his head, holding his tears back.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sable" he said quietly, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair tenderly. "I have too much love for you to do that now"

They remained in an embrace for what felt to be an eon. They both knew that there was a future in store for both of them, and their romance seemed to continue undaunted, despite their lengthy exile. Even if something were to happen to either, both knew that life was too short to be taking things for granted. With a renewed spirit in mind and a refreshed love for each other, in company and personality, they knew that their bond would be everlasting.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed the story, I certainly do love writing about this pairing, I think they're dope. Check my other stuff, y'all!**


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